American women’s basketball: Resurgent UTSA to face Rice for a postseason title

Posted on March 14, 2026 by Jerry Briggs

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

UTSA players gathered on the floor at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., late on Friday night, chanting, “We ain’t done. We ain’t done.”

Ereauna Hardaway, Cheyenne Rowe. UTSA beat Memphis 67-55 in American Conference women's basketball on Sunday, March 1, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA’s 5-1 record this month got started when guard Ereauna Hardaway, wearing the gold chain, led the Roadrunners past the Memphis Tigers, 67-55, on March 1 at the Convocation Center. – File photo by Joe Alexander

Guard Ereauna Hardaway’s long, two-handed, 3-point basket sparked a late run and lifted the sixth-seeded Roadrunners to a 54-44 victory over the No. 2 East Carolina Pirates in the semifinals of the American Conference women’s basketball tournament.

Winners of four straight overall and three in three days in Birmingham, the resurgent Roadrunners (17-15) have advanced and will meet the top-seeded Rice Owls (28-4) for the title on Saturday at 8:30 p.m.

Rice, playing in the earlier semifinal game on Friday, secured its ticket to the championship round with a 71-67 victory over fifth-seeded North Texas.

The winner between the Roadrunners and the Owls will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

UTSA beat ECU (22-10) and held the Pirates to their lowest scoring output of the season.

The Roadrunners capped a gritty defensive struggle with a 17-5 run in the final six minutes. Hardaway scored nine of her game-high 15 points in the closing stretch.

“I just wanted to join the game with (my teammates),” Hardaway joked with an ESPN+ television reporter afterward. “They was playing so good, I had to join in. Why not?”

Asked what it will take to beat the Owls for the championship, Hardaway said, “The mindset. We ain’t done yet. That’s the mindset.”

UTSA coach Karen Aston credited her players’ resolve for just deciding that they wanted to play well in March and to make a run in the tournament.

She said it started after a dispiriting loss at home to Tulsa and before the last game of the regular season at Rice, where they beat the regular-season champions, 61-52.

“(Players) sort of flipped a switch,” Aston said, “and made some decisions to be a little bit tougher and do some of the hard stuff a little bit better.

“I say this all the time, but teams and players are not on your watch sometimes. They’re on their own.

“And when they grow up and mature, is a process, and you never know when that’s going to happen, especially for young players. So I think for some of them, the light has just kind of come on.”

Hardaway’s performance down the stretch was memorable.

With UTSA trailing 39-37 and 6:28 remaining, the senior transfer from North Texas scored seven of her team’s points in a 9-0 run.

Kick-starting the streak, Hardaway hit a layup, and after two Idara Udo free throws, the Roadrunners capitalized when Pirates freshman Olivia Hilliard turned it over.

On the ensuing possession, Hardaway misfired on a 15-footer and then a layup attempt.

After Mia Hammonds snared the offensive rebound, UTSA worked the ball back to Hardaway, way beyond the three-point arc, with the shot clock winding down.

Her teammates were yelling at her to shoot it. Once she got the message, she put up a straight-away, two-hander that swished.

After that, Hardaway turned toward the other basket, smiling, while flashing 3-point signals with both hands.

“It was great to see it go in,” she said.

When it ripped the nets, the Roadrunners had expanded the lead to 44-39 with 4:16 remaining. The Pirates would come no closer than three the rest of the way.

Records

UTSA 17-15
East Carolina 22-10

Coming up

UTSA will play Rice for the tournament championship Saturday at 8:30 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPNU.

First half

The sixth-seeded Roadrunners entered the semifinals of the American Conference tournament coming off wins over No. 7 Temple and three seed South Florida.

For the No. 2 Pirates, drawing a triple bye into the semis, it was their first game of the week in Birmingham, and only their second in two weeks overall

In a first half that evolved into a tense, defensive struggle, the Roadrunners and Pirates battled to a 24-24 tie at intermission.

The second quarter belonged to the Pirates. After falling behind by six points, they kept forcing turnovers and capitalized on the Roadrunners’ mistakes with a 10-0 run.

Jayla Hearp capped the streak with a three-pointer. When it fell with 1:18 remaining, the Pirates held a 24-20 lead.

In the final minute, the Roadrunners scored the last four points as Idara Udo sank two free throws and Hammonds made an aggressive move into the paint for a 12 foot jumper.

UTSA played well defensively for most of the half, holding the Pirates to five of 25 shooting at one point. The Pirates went into the dressing room nine of 32 for 28 percent.

Offensively, the Roadrunners failed to figure out a way to attack the Pirates’ pressure, turning the ball over 12 times. The miscues led to 11 East Carolina points.

UTSA shot nine of 19 from the field for 47 percent in the half.

Roadrunners forward Cheyenne Rowe came out of the game at the end when she was hit in the nose by the forehead of Keanna Rembert, who was called for a charge.

Third quarter

East Carolina freshman Olivia Hilliard buried a 15-foot jumper with four seconds left, boosting the Pirates into a 34-33 lead going into the fourth.

Fourth quarter

During UTSA’s late push, East Carolina found hope when Kennedy Fauntleroy dribbled into the lane and hit a 10-foot floater, trimming the Roadrunners’ lead to 47-44 with 1:15 remaining.

On the inbounds, UTSA experienced trouble against the defensive pressure. A pass from the backcourt into the frontcourt went awry, but Hammonds tracked it down.

After Hardaway air-balled a 3-point attempt, Rowe snagged the ball and sank a short follow shot.

Surging and leading by five, the Roadrunners forced a three by Pirates forward Anzhane’ Hutton that missed.

Damara Allen rebounded, drew a foul, and hit two free throws for a 51-44 lead with 33 seconds left.

The Pirates went scoreless the rest of the way, while the Roadrunners closed it out with three free throws, two by Hardaway and another by Rowe.

Notable

UTSA and Rice split the season series. On Jan. 31 in San Antonio, Victoria Flores scored 33 points to lead the Owls, 65-55.

On March 7, the last day of the regular season, UTSA answered with a 61-52 victory in Houston to snap the Owls’ 22-game winning streak.

If the Roadrunners can beat them again Saturday night, they would advance to the NCAA tournament in women’s basketball for the first time since 2009.

The UTSA women won the Southland postseason titles in both 2008 and 2009 — still the program’s only NCAA bids in 45 seasons.

A win tonight not only would break the NCAA drought, but it would put this team in the record book as the only one in program history to claim a conference tournament title with four victories in four days.

Even if the Roadrunners lose, their season might not be complete as they will be under consideration for a bid to the WNIT, a school spokesman said.

Among UTSA individual standouts against East Carolina, Ereauna Hardaway had 15 points, five rebounds and four assists.

Forwards Cheyenne Rowe scored 11 and Idara Udo 10. Though both combined for 15 rebounds, the major contributor on the boards was guard Damara Allen, who snared 10.

Small forward Mia Hammonds played well again with nine points, five rebounds and three blocked shots.

Also, with UTSA holding a three-point lead late, she retrieved an errant pass from a teammate to save a possession.

For East Carolina, guard Kennedy Fauntleroy scored 12 points to lead three players in double figures. Guard Jayla Hearp contributed 11 and forward Keanna Rembert 10.

American Conference
Women’s basketball tournament
At Birmingham, Ala.

Tuesday

Game 1 — (9) FAU defeats (8) Charlotte, 74-70, overtime
Game 2 — (7) Temple defeats (10) Tulane, 86-77, overtime

Wednesday

Game 3 — (5) North Texas defeats (9) FAU, 80-57
Game 4 — (6) UTSA defeats (7) Temple, 59-51

Thursday

Game 5 — (5) North Texas defeats (4) Tulsa, 76-73
Game 6 — (6) UTSA defeats (3) South Florida, 62-51

Friday

Game 7 — (1) Rice defeats (5) North Texas 71-67
Game 8 — (6) UTSA beats (2) East Carolina, 54-44

Saturday

Game 9 (championship) — (1) Rice vs. (6) UTSA, 8:30 p.m.

Records

(1) Rice 28-4, 17-1
x-(2) East Carolina 22-10, 14-4
x-(3) South Florida 20-12, 13-5
x-(4) Tulsa 19-12, 11-7
x-(5) North Texas 19-14, 11-7
(6) UTSA 17-15, 9-9
x-(7) Temple 15-17, 8-10
x-(8) Charlotte 14-18, 8-10
x-(9) FAU 14-18, 7-11
x-(10) Tulane 11-20, 6-12

x-eliminated

Baseball: UTSA hopes to bounce back after first home loss

Posted on March 14, 2026 by Jerry Briggs

Lane Haworth dives for a line drive in right field. The ball bounced before he could reach it and it wasn't a catch. UTSA vs. UT-Arlington baseball on Friday, March 13, 2026, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Lane Haworth dove for a line drive in right field Friday afternoon, but the ball bounced before he could reach it. UT Arlington went on to win 15-11 for the first victory by a visiting team at Roadrunner Field this season.
– Photo by Joe Alexander

The 24th-ranked UTSA Roadrunners will play at home Saturday and Sunday afternoon, looking to rebound from a disappointing performance Friday night.

In the first game of a non-conference series at Roadrunner Field, the UT Arlington Mavericks registered a 15-11 victory. The Mavs punched out 10 hits and drew 14 walks in the opener.

Xavier Melendez led the Mavericks, going 3-for-3 with five RBI and three walks, including a double as part of a career night at the plate.

Drew Detlefsen had three hits for the Roadrunners.

Records

UT Arlington 6-11
UTSA 14-4

Coming up

UT Arlington at UTSA, Saturday, 2 p.m.
UT Arlington at UTSA, Sunday, 1 p.m.

American women’s basketball: Top-seeded Rice wins and advances to the finals

Posted on March 13, 2026 by Jerry Briggs

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

San Antonio’s Hailey Adams produced 17 points and 14 rebounds in the top-seeded Rice Owls’ 71-67 victory over the No. 5 North Texas Mean Green Friday night in the semifinals of the American Conference women’s basketball tournament.

Victoria Flores scored 21 and Dominique Ennis had 19 as Rice (28-4) advanced to the finals for the third year in a row. Rice won the tournament championship in 2024 and finished as runner up to South Florida last season.

The Owls took control of the game in the third quarter when they outscored the Mean Green 27-11 for a 59-48 lead.

The Mean Green rallied and cut the deficit to two with 11 seconds remaining. But Flores went to the free throw line and made both with 6.1 seconds left for the game’s final points.

San Antonio’s Aysia Proctor had 12 points and six rebounds for the Mean Green.

She had to leave the game in the third quarter after taking a spill and hitting her head on the floor, but she returned to play and knock down a three in the last half of the fourth period.

All-conference forward Megan Nestor paced North Texas with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Guard Chania Price scored 10.

First half

The top-seeded Owls entered the tournament on a triple bye, starting Friday night in the semifinals at Birmingham, Ala.

The No. 5 Mean Green came into the semis on a roll after routing the nine seed FAU Owls 80-57 on Wednesday and then knocking off No. 4 Tulsa Golden Hurricane 76-73 on Thursday.

Despite falling behind by eight at the end of the first quarter, the Mean Green started playing harder in the second and raced to a 37-32 lead at the half.

Nestor and Proctor led with nine points. Nestor, the nation’s top rebounder, battled against Rice’s big frontcourt and pulled down six boards.

North Texas excelled defensively in the second quarter, holding Rice to two of 12 shooting from the field.

The Mean Green outscored the Owls 22-9 in the quarter, with Nestor producing seven.

Records

North Texas 19-14
Rice 28-4

Coming up

Rice vs. UTSA or East Carolina in the championship game, 8:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Notable

Proctor had to come out of the game with 34 seconds left in the third quarter after hitting her head on the floor in a battle for possession near the baseline.

After leaving the bench area to receive attention from the training staff, she re-entered the with less than five minutes left in the game.

Proctor played in high school at Schertz Clemens and in her first two years of college at UTSA. She received second-team, all-conference honors this season for the Mean Green.

Rice last played on March 7 in Houston when the Owls lost the regular-season finale 61-52 to the UTSA Roadrunners.

American Conference
Women’s basketball tournament
At Birmingham, Ala.

Tuesday

Game 1 — (9) FAU defeats (8) Charlotte, 74-70, overtime
Game 2 — (7) Temple defeats (10) Tulane, 86-77, overtime

Wednesday

Game 3 — (5) North Texas defeats (9) FAU, 80-57
Game 4 — (6) UTSA defeats (7) Temple, 59-51

Thursday

Game 5 — (5) North Texas defeats (4) Tulsa, 76-73
Game 6 — (6) UTSA defeats (3) South Florida, 62-51

Friday

Game 7 — (1) Rice defeats (5) North Texas 71-67
Game 8 — (6) UTSA vs. (2) East Carolina, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday

Game 9 (championship) — (1) Rice vs. Game 8 winner, 8:30 p.m.

Records

(1) Rice 28-4, 17-1
(2) East Carolina 22-9, 14-4
x-(3) South Florida 20-12, 13-5
x-(4) Tulsa 19-12, 11-7
x-(5) North Texas 19-14, 11-7
(6) UTSA 16-15, 9-9
x-(7) Temple 15-17, 8-10
x-(8) Charlotte 14-18, 8-10
x-(9) FAU 14-18, 7-11
x-(10) Tulane 11-20, 6-12

x-eliminated

American women’s basketball: UTSA upsets South Florida in the quarterfinals

Posted on March 12, 2026 by Jerry Briggs

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Cheyenne Rowe celebrated her 22nd birthday in style Thursday, helping the sixth-seeded UTSA Roadrunners upset the No. 3 South Florida Bulls 62-51 in the American Conference tournament quarterfinals.

In the game played at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., Rowe led the Roadrunners with 25 points and 11 rebounds as they pushed past the Bulls and into the semifinals against the second-seeded East Carolina Pirates.

“Just a tremendous performance for our team,” UTSA coach Karen Aston said. “It’s hard, not to let ’em get too high, and all that kind of stuff. But it was such a great performance and a total commitment to four quarters of basketball.

“We were pretty relentless defensively, and I thought our team shared the ball well. Made the right decisions and they hung in there defensively all night long. You know, I couldn’t be prouder.”

Rowe put on a performance reminiscent of former UTSA standout Jordyn Jenkins. Meaning, she did just about everything and was extremely efficient.

The 6-foot-2 forward didn’t take a three-point attempt, instead working around the basket and in the mid-range with a variety of drives, turnarounds and face-up shots.

Rowe hit 11 of 17 shots from the field.

Her performance punctuates the Roadrunners’ rise from inconsistency to a 4-1 record in their last five, including victories over 27-win Rice on the final day of the regular season and then tournament wins over Temple and 20-win South Florida.

After helping defeat Bulls, who had beaten the Roadrunners twice during the regular season, Rowe talked about what it meant to see her team fight through so much adversity and then make such a robust turnaround in March.

“We have faced adversities and it’s just amazing to see how we’ve pushed through them,” she said. “It’s great to see everyone, like, playing together. Playing with each other. Playing to have fun.

“Basketball is supposed to be fun. We play with each other to have fun. And we want to win. Everyone does. So, I’ve got to say, I’m very proud of everyone.”

South Florida had beaten UTSA twice in the regular season but could not get it done for the third time in a row.

The Roadrunners (16-15) made it happen mostly with defense, holding the Bulls to 33.9 percent shooting from the field.

The Bulls (20-12) were completely stifled at the end of the game, outscored 11-2 in the final 4:44.

After Roadrunners sophomore Mia Hammonds slashed to the basket for a bucket with 3:08 remaining, the Roadrunners led 53-49 and then had a couple of lapses on their next two offensive possessions.

One was an offensive foul call and the other a turnover by Ereauna Hardaway.

“As far as that timeout,” Aston said, “(the message) was just finish. We played so well the whole game. Let’s not get rattled or get down on ourselves at this point. Let’s just finish the job.”

Coming out of the timeout, Hardaway responded with a 14-foot jumper, boosting the lead to six points. Following that, UTSA knocked down three of four free throws for a nine-point lead.

On the next South Florida possession, Hammonds blocked a shot by Bulls star Carla Brito, setting up another offensive possession for the Roadrunners.

Hardaway sank one of two free throws with 37.5 seconds remaining for a 10-point lead. South Florida never got closer than eight the rest of the way.

For the game, Hardaway produced 12 points and five rebounds. Idara Udo had 10 points, 10 rebounds and two blocked shots.

Among the younger UTSA players, Hammonds had eight points on three of four shooting and four rebounds. She also had the key block at the end of the game.

Sophomore Damara Allen had nine rebounds.

Freshman point guard Adriana Robles started for the fifth straight game and had two points, five rebounds and two assists. UTSA is 4-1 in those five games.

Records

UTSA 16-15
South Florida 20-12

Notable

UTSA women’s basketball has advanced into a conference tournament semifinal for the first time since the 2024 (in the American) and for the 12th time overall.

If they win, they’ll make their sixth conference championship appearance.

The Roadrunners have won two games in a tournament for the first time since 2023.

Against East Carolina, UTSA will try to win a third game in the same tournament for the first time since 2009.

In both the 2008 and 2009 Southland Conference postseasons, the Roadrunners went 3-0 each time to reach the NCAA tournament.

This week, the Roadrunners will need to win four games in four days for the NCAA automatic bid.

First half

Rowe had 14 points and seven rebounds in the first half as the UTSA Roadrunners took a 30-22 lead at halftime against the South Florida Bulls.

UTSA’s strong performance came in the quarterfinals of the American Conference women’s basketball tournament at Birmingham, Ala.

While South Florida, with a double bye, was making its debut in the tournament, UTSA was playing its second game in two days after eliminating Temple, 59-51, on Tuesday.

From the outset, UTSA seemed to have a better rhythm than South Florida. Riding Rowe’s hot shooting hand, the Roadrunners moved out to a 14-9 lead after the first quarter.

It was a team effort in that the Roadrunners cut down on turnovers, ran efficient offense and kept the Bulls out of their bread and butter, the transition game.

In the second period, UTSA’s offense went cold. But at the same time, its defense stayed solid. Then, late in the period, UTSA’s Hammonds and Udo asserted themselves offensively.

Hammonds hit two straight buckets on aggressive moves toward the basket. She also knocked down a couple of free throws.

After Rowe hit a couple of shots, Udo connected on a 14-foot turnaround jumper for a 30-22 lead.

American Conference
Women’s basketball tournament
At Birmingham, Ala.

Tuesday

Game 1 — (9) FAU defeats (8) Charlotte, 74-70, overtime
Game 2 — (7) Temple defeats (10) Tulane, 86-77, overtime

Wednesday

Game 3 — (5) North Texas defeats (9) FAU, 80-57
Game 4 — (6) UTSA defeats (7) Temple, 59-51

Thursday

Game 5 — (5) North Texas defeats (4) Tulsa, 76-73
Game 6 — (6) UTSA defeats (3) South Florida, 62-51

Friday

Game 7 — (5) North Texas vs. (1) Rice, 6 p.m.
Game 8 — (6) UTSA vs. (2) East Carolina, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday

Game 9 (championship) — Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 8:30 p.m.

Records

(1) Rice 27-4, 17-1
(2) East Carolina 22-9, 14-4
(3) South Florida 20-12, 13-5
(4) Tulsa 19-12, 11-7
(5) North Texas 19-13, 11-7
(6) UTSA 16-15, 9-9
(7) Temple 15-17, 8-10
(8) Charlotte 14-18, 8-10
(9) FAU 14-18, 7-11
(10) Tulane 11-20, 6-12

American women’s basketball: North Texas knocks off fourth-seeded Tulsa

Posted on March 12, 2026 by Jerry Briggs

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Andi Schissler scored 18 points Thursday afternoon, pacing the fifth-seeded North Texas Mean Green to their second win in the American Conference women’s basketball tournament, a 76-73 victory over the No. 4 Tulsa Golden Hurricane.

A day after North Texas routed the ninth-seeded FAU Owls, 80-57, in the second round, they rolled to an early double-digit lead and held off a late rally by the Golden Hurricane.

The Golden Hurricane entered on a double bye, making the quarterfinals their first game at the Legacy Center in Birmingham, Ala.

After coming out flat and falling behind by 11 at the half and by 19 in the third quarter, Tulsa rallied to within three with 14 seconds remaining.

A North Texas turnover on a steal by Tulsa’s Dora Toman with 11 seconds gave the Golden Hurricane a chance to tie.

But Mady Cartwright’s attempt at a three with two seconds left was off the mark.

As a result, the Golden Hurricane (19-12) had their hopes dashed for a berth in the NCAA tournament and now must wait for a bid to another postseason event.

The Mean Green (19-13) advanced to the semifinals against the top-seeded Rice Owls (27-4).

American Conference
Women’s basketball tournament
At Birmingham, Ala.

Tuesday

Game 1 — (9) FAU defeats (8) Charlotte, 74-70, overtime
Game 2 — (7) Temple defeats (10) Tulane, 86-77, overtime

Wednesday

Game 3 — (5) North Texas defeats (9) FAU, 80-57
Game 4 — (6) UTSA defeats (7) Temple, 59-51

Thursday

Game 5 — (5) North Texas defeats (4) Tulsa, 76-73
Game 6 — (6) UTSA vs. (3) South Florida, 2:30 p.m.

Friday

Game 7 — (5) North Texas vs. (1) Rice, 6 p.m.
Game 8 — Game 6 winner vs. (2) East Carolina, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday

Game 9 (championship) — Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 8:30 p.m.

Records

(1) Rice 27-4, 17-1
(2) East Carolina 22-9, 14-4
(3) South Florida 20-11, 13-5
(4) Tulsa 19-12, 11-7
(5) North Texas 19-13, 11-7
(6) UTSA 15-15, 9-9
(7) Temple 15-17, 8-10
(8) Charlotte 14-18, 8-10
(9) FAU 14-18, 7-11
(10) Tulane 11-20, 6-12

Baseball: Texas Tech rallies to down UTSA, 10-5

Posted on March 11, 2026 by Jerry Briggs

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Connor Shouse, Robin Villeneuve and AJ Goytia all smashed two-run home runs in a seven-run sixth inning as the Texas Tech Red Raiders rallied to down the 24th-ranked UTSA Roadrunners, 10-5, on a cold Wednesday night in Lubbock.

UTSA held a 4-1 lead when Tech came to bat in the sixth.

In response, the Red Raiders sent 10 batters to the plate and stroked six hits, with one walk, against three UTSA pitchers. When Goytia’s homer cleared the wall, Texas Tech’s lead had expanded to 8-4.

The Red Raiders added two more runs in the seventh as they went on to split a two-game, mid-week series with the Roadrunners after UTSA won 9-8 on Tuesday night.

UTSA scored one run in the second inning, one in the third and two in the fourth for the 4-1 lead. Christian Hallmark ripped a solo home run in the second and an RBI single in the third. Josh Arquette hit a two-run homer in the fourth.

Will Jordan (2-0) earned the victory on the mound for the Red Raiders. He walked one and didn’t allow a hit in a scoreless sixth inning.

James Hubbard (0-1) was tagged with the loss after giving up the go-ahead runs on Villeneuve’s two-run blast.

Records

UTSA 14-3
Texas Tech 11-5

Coming up

UT Arlington at UTSA, Friday, 6 p.m.
UT Arlington at UTSA, Saturday, 2 p.m.
UT Arlington at UTSA, Sunday, 1 p.m.

American women’s basketball tournament: South Florida is next as UTSA downs Temple

Posted on March 11, 2026 by Jerry Briggs

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Flanked in the postgame press conference by senior Ereauna Hardaway and junior Idara Udo, UTSA Roadrunners coach Karen Aston on Wednesday reflected on her team’s 59-51 victory over the Temple Owls.

The second-round game in the American Conference women’s basketball tournament wasn’t a thing of beauty. Especially a seemingly endless second-quarter scoring drought for UTSA.

But as for the Roadrunners’ opening-game performance in Birmingham, Ala., on the whole, Aston will take it.

“I’m super proud of our team,” the coach said.

She said it’s always an experience to discover how players, especially the young ones, will respond to the tournament atmosphere and pressure.

“I think the two sitting beside me led the way from an experience standpoint,” Aston said. “They had a lot of calmness about them today. And I just thought they were resilient.”

With the win, UTSA improved to a modest 15-15, which doesn’t reflect on the qualities of grit and toughness it takes to battle through a season with multiple season-ending injuries.

“It’s kind of been the theme of this team,” the coach said. “They’ve been able to bounce back. We went through a stretch in the second quarter that wasn’t really very pretty, and then I thought we regrouped … and played really well in the second half.”

Hardaway had 17 points and six rebounds as the sixth-seeded Roadrunners notched their third win of the season against the No. 7 Owls, advancing to Thursday’s quarterfinals, where they’ll meet the three seed South Florida Bulls.

The matchup promises to be an emotional one, at least for the Roadrunners, who have lost twice this season to the Bulls.

South Florida won the first meeting, 70-53, on Jan 13 in Tampa, building a 25-point lead at halftime and then cruising the rest of the way.

The Bulls also claimed the rematch in San Antonio on Feb. 14, though they had to battle at the end to hold off the Roadrunners, 69-63. Udo said she’s excited about the opportunity to play them again.

“A very physical team,” Udo said of the Bulls, “a team that gets out in transition. Runs the floor well. Runs their lanes well and has players that can score.”

One of the keys against South Florida could center on whether UTSA’s young guards and wings — Adriana Robles, Mia Hammonds and Damara Allen — can play at the same high level that they did against Temple.

“I did want to mention that our young guys did a great job on defense,” Aston said. “(The Owls’) guards are hard to handle. I thought all the young ones, their attention to detail, to me they were the difference in the game.

“I just wanted to give them some props. I thought Mia was terrific. I thought Damara came in and did a great job. (Same with) Adriana.

“That’s something we tried to hone in on, was doing your job and paying attention to detail. I think that’s a little bit of a hidden reason why we won.”

Also for UTSA, senior forward Cheyenne Rowe scored 13 points, including two clutch free throws with 22 seconds left.

Udo finished with 11 points and 12 rebounds and Hammonds scored 10, hitting four of five shots from the field.

As a team, UTSA held Temple to 32 percent shooting and won the battle on the boards, 44-27.

It was the third straight win for UTSA over Temple this season. Previously, the Roadrunners won 50-47 on Jan. 3 in Philadelphia and 52-43 on Feb. 10 in San Antonio.

Tristen Taylor and Jaleesa Molina had 12 points apiece for the Owls, while Kaylah Turner, the leading scorer in the American, was held to 11.

Records

UTSA 15-15
Temple 15-17

Coming up

UTSA vs. South Florida, Thursday, 2:30 p.m.

Notable

A UTSA offense that had a good start in the first quarter shut down completely in the face of a tenacious Temple defense in the final six minutes before intermission.

The Roadrunners failed to score and missed their last nine attempts from the field in the final 6:19 as the Owls took a 26-25 lead into the break.

On the flip side of the narrative, the Roadrunners’ defense didn’t allow much of anything in the way of offense for the Owls in the second quarter, either.

While UTSA recorded 2 of 13 shooting in the period, Temple could only manage 3 of 17.

Wednesday’s Game 1

Former UTSA guard Aysia Proctor led the fifth-seeded North Texas Mean Green with a game-high 24 points in a 80-57 second-round victory Wednesday over the No. 9 FAU Owls.

Proctor, formerly of Clemens High School, played 26 minutes and hit eight of 13 shots from the field, including five of eight from beyond the 3-point arc.

With the win, North Texas advanced to the quarterfinals against fourth-seeded Tulsa.

The American’s five-day event is being played at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, with the winner of Saturday’s title game earning an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

American Conference
Women’s basketball tournament
At Birmingham, Ala.

Tuesday

Game 1 — (9) FAU defeats (8) Charlotte, 74-70, overtime
Game 2 — (7) Temple defeats (10) Tulane, 86-77, overtime

Wednesday

Game 3 — (5) North Texas defeats (9) FAU, 80-57
Game 4 — (6) UTSA defeats (7) Temple, 59-51

Thursday

Game 5 — (5) North Texas vs. (4) Tulsa, noon
Game 6 — (6) UTSA vs. (3) South Florida, 2:30 p.m.

Friday

Game 7 — Game 5 winner vs. (1) Rice, 6 p.m.
Game 8 — Game 6 winner vs. (2) East Carolina, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday

Game 9 (championship) — Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 8:30 p.m.

Records

(1) Rice 27-4, 17-1
(2) East Carolina 22-9, 14-4
(3) South Florida 20-11, 13-5
(4) Tulsa 19-11, 11-7
(5) North Texas 18-13, 11-7
(6) UTSA 15-15, 9-9
(7) Temple 15-17, 8-10
(8) Charlotte 14-18, 8-10
(9) FAU 14-18, 7-11
(10) Tulane 11-20, 6-12

Notable

Former UTSA women’s basketball player Nina De Leon Negron is set to represent her native Puerto Rico at the upcoming FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifier tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

American Conference women’s basketball: UTSA aims high even with a No. 6 seed

Posted on March 11, 2026 by Jerry Briggs

Karen Aston. UTSA beat Memphis 67-55 in American Conference women's basketball on Sunday, March 1, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

The UTSA Roadrunners, under Coach Karen Aston, must win four games in four days to win the American Conference postseason title. Their quest begins today in Birmingham, Ala., against the Temple Owls. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The American Conference women’s basketball tournament once was ruled by the University of Connecticut Huskies.

Starting in the spring of 2014, the first year of the league, Geno Auriemma’s Huskies entered as the No. 1 seed every year and won it seven years in a row.

The streak ended only when Auriemma and the Huskies took up residence in the new Big East for the 2020-21 season.

No. 1 seeds won the American postseason crown again in 2021 and 2022 with the South Florida Bulls and the UCF Knights, respectively, taking the automatic bid into the NCAA tournament.

But since then, the American’s postseason event has evolved into a week filled with surprises.

In the past two years, with the influx of former teams out of Conference USA, it’s been absolutely nuts.

Both years, the finals have featured at least one team that has played its fourth game in four days.

Ereauna Hardaway. South Florida beat UTSA 69-63 in American Conference women's basketball on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Guard Ereauna Hardaway says UTSA (14-15, 9-9) has the ‘perfect seed’ at No. 6 going into the tournament. – File photo by Joe Alexander

Even with a format change this year giving the top two teams a two-game route to the title, everyone who has ever watched basketball at this time of year knows that anyone can still win it.

Even the sixth-seeded Roadrunners, who open what they hope is a four games in four days ride today against the No. 7 Temple Owls in Birmingham.

Asked if the tournament’s recent history makes her feel more encouraged or optimistic, UTSA coach Karen Aston said she feels that way, anyway.

“Well, I’m encouraged just because I think our mindset is good,” she said. “You know, we got here late (Monday) afternoon and had a good workout. Seemed to be in a really good frame of mind.

“So I have a real positive mindset.”

Two years ago, the Rice Owls, as the No. 10 seed, came roaring through Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, winning four in four days.

As the all top seeds were knocked off, they sauntered into the finals and beat the No. 9 seed East Carolina Pirates.

Last year, the tournament was a heartbreak for the Roadrunners.

As the No. 1 seed, they had a three games in three days route to the title and dropped their first game, falling to ninth-seeded Rice in the quarterfinals.

In the finals, No. 3 South Florida beat Rice.

This year, the calculus is altered with No. 1 Rice and No. 2 East Carolina opening in Friday’s semifinals, needing only to win two in two days to gain the NCAA automatic bid.

Aston said that “everyone thinks” this year is set up for the No. 1 or the No. 2 to win it all.

But as recent history has proven, it only takes one game for a shocking result to crater the bracket.

“An obvious challenge would be if you had to win five,” Aston said. “I think that would probably seem pretty daunting.

“But the fact that we were able to get the bye and get up here and get settled, you know, I think anybody that’s competitive at all (thinks they have a chance).”

UTSA senior Ereauna Hardaway said she likes UTSA’s seeding in that a team that is ready to play can find its groove in the tournament’s early stages.

“To me, in my opinion, it’s better to get the first-round bye and get to play for four days, instead of having to wait all the way until Friday,” she said. “I think we could get a good rhythm. You get your jitters out the first day.

Temple coach Diane Richardson. UTSA beat Temple 70-61 on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, at the Convocation Center in American Athletic Conference women's basketball. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Coach Diane Richardson leads the Temple Owls (15-16) into today’s second-round game against UTSA. – File photo by Joe Alexander

“So I think we’re in a perfect seed.”

It also helps that the Roadrunners have some late momentum.

Even though they have lost four of their last eight, they have won two of their last three, including a victory over the No. 1 Rice Owls last Saturday in Houston.

The question might be whether the Roadrunners can sustain effort for four days in a row.

“Definitely the biggest challenge is taking care of our bodies,” UTSA senior forward Cheyenne Rowe said. “So that’s we’ll have to do in between games, in between days … Definitely go over the scout. At the same time, we’ve played these teams before.

“We know who they are. We just have to play our game. Play the way we play and play for each other.”

Hardaway has played in the last two tournaments for the North Texas Mean Green.

Even though the site of the event has shifted from Fort Worth to Birmingham and the bracket has been altered, it all boils down to which team is best prepared.

“I would just say, everyone has to come to play,” Hardaway said. “Any team can win. You know, even the lowest seed.

“Like, if you watch March Madness, you always usually see (someone) knock out a big team.

“Everybody has to be ready to come to play, because you never know what can happen, because, nobody wants it to be the last game of their season.”

American Conference
Women’s basketball tournament
At Birmingham, Ala.

Tuesday

Game 1 — (9) FAU defeats (8) Charlotte, 74-70, in overtime.
Game 2 — (7) Temple defeats (10) Tulane, 86-77, in overtime.

Wednesday

Game 3 — (9) FAU vs. (5) North Texas, noon
Game 4 — (7) Temple vs. (6) UTSA, 2:30 p.m.

Thursday

Game 5 — Game 3 winner vs. (4) Tulsa, noon
Game 6 — Game 4 winner vs. (3) South Florida, 2:30 p.m.

Friday

Game 7 — Game 5 winner vs. (1) Rice, 6 p.m.
Game 8 — Game 6 winner vs. (2) East Carolina, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday

Game 9 (championship) — Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 8:30 p.m.

Records

(1) Rice 27-4, 17-1
(2) East Carolina 22-9, 14-4
(3) South Florida 20-11, 13-5
(4) Tulsa 19-11, 11-7
(5) North Texas 17-13, 11-7
(6) UTSA 14-15, 9-9
(7) Temple 15-16, 8-10
(8) Charlotte 14-18, 8-10
(9) FAU 14-17, 7-11
(10) Tulane 11-20, 6-12

Hailey Adams. UTSA women's basketball beat Rice 67-58 in American Athletic Conference action at the Convocation Center on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

San Antonio’s Hailey Adams has emerged as one of the key players for the top-seeded Rice Owls, who will open play in the tournament on Friday needing just two wins for the title. – File photo by Joe Alexander

College baseball: UTSA holds off Texas Tech, 9-8, in Lubbock

Posted on March 10, 2026 by Jerry Briggs

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Sam Simmons struck out Jesse Rusinek to end the game with the tying run at first base as the 24th-ranked UTSA Roadrunners held off the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Tuesday night, winning 9-8 in Lubbock.

Andrew Stucky had one of UTSA's four home runs on Friday. UTSA beat South Dakota State 17-4 in the Roadrunners' 2026 baseball season opener on Friday, Feb. 13, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Andrew Stucky hit a three-run homer measured at 416 feet off a light pole Tuesday night in Lubbock. – File photo by Joe Alexander

With the victory, the Roadrunners bounced back from Sunday’s loss at New Mexico State and improved to 14-2, which includes a 3-0 mark against Power 4 competition.

UTSA has scored wins over Ohio State, Baylor and Texas Tech, with another game against the Red Raiders, now 10-5, scheduled on Wednesday night.

In the opener of a mid-week series against the Big 12 Conference program, the Roadrunners scored single runs in the first and the second, two in the third and another in the fourth for a 5-1 lead.

They exploded for four runs in the top of the sixth to make it 9-2.

The outburst included an opposite-field homer by Caden Miller over the left field wall. Andrew Stucky punctuated the uprising with a three-run shot, pulling the ball 416 feet off a light pole in left.

In the bottom half, Texas Tech struck back. The Red Raiders rallied against Mike DeBattista and Simmons for five runs on four hits.

Rusinek drilled an RBI single for the first run, chasing DeBattista from the game.

Simmons, UTSA’s stopper, fared no better. At least, initially. Robin Villeneuve and Kyeler Thompson greeted Simmons with consecutive run-scoring singles to make it 9-5.

After Tracer Lopez grounded out to first, Connor Shouse bounced an infield single to third for the fourth run of the inning. At that point, Simmons settled down.

A Logan Hughes ground ball brought in another run to make it 9-7, before Linkin Garcia bounced out to first, ending the threat.

From there, a battle of the bullpens ensued, with Texas Tech’s Bryce Suiter throwing three innings scoreless, allowing no hits and striking out four.

Simmons also closed the game, but not without some drama. In the ninth inning, Hughes led off with a walk and advanced to third on a one-out single by Caden Ferraro.

Matt Quintanar launched a fly ball to right that was caught for the second out, but it also scored Hughes, making it a one-run game.

With UTSA’s Friday night starter Connor Kelley throwing in the bullpen, Simmons used five pitches to strike out Rusinek to end the game.

Simmons (4-1) earned the victory, while Texas Tech starter Jackson Burns (1-1) took the loss.

UTSA out-hit Texas Tech 13-12, with Lane Haworth going four for five. Haworth, the team’s leading hitter with a .508 average, doubled twice, scored a run and notched an RBI.

Records

UTSA 14-2
Texas Tech 10-5

Coming up

UTSA at Texas Tech, Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.

Notable

UTSA’s Sam Simmons (4-1) earned the victory after yielding three runs on four hits in four innings. He walked two and struck out four.

The loss went to Texas Tech starter Jackson Burns (1-1). Burns allowed four runs on six hits in three innings.

American women’s tournament: Seventh-seeded Temple wins, advances to face No. 6 UTSA

Posted on March 9, 2026 by Jerry Briggs

Update: On Day 1 of the American Conference women’s basketball tournament, Kaylah Turner scored 31 points Tuesday and lifted the seventh-seeded Temple Owls past the No. 10 Tulane Green Wave, 86-77, in overtime. Temple advances to play sixth-seeded UTSA in the second round on Wednesday.

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA women’s basketball team left town on a damp and foggy Monday morning, headed for the American Conference tournament in Birmingham, Ala.

Cheyenne Rowe. UTSA women's basketball beat Texas State 64-41 on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA forward Cheyenne Rowe expressed pride in her teammates for their resilience in battling through a season marked by ‘hardships.’ – File photo by Joe Alexander

Coming off a regular-season ending upset victory over the conference champion Rice Owls, players said they feel confident that they can do some damage as the No. 6 seed.

“I’m definitely very proud of us, because we’ve been through a lot of hardships,” UTSA senior Cheyenne Rowe said. “We’ve bounced back a couple of times, and we bounced back against Rice, and that was really amazing.”

The tournament starts with the first-round games Tuesday at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, but with a bye, the Roadrunners (14-15, 9-9) open play on Wednesday afternoon.

They’ll take on either the seventh-seeded Temple Owls or the No. 10 Tulane Green Wave.

“I’m feeling confident,” senior guard Ereauna Hardaway said. “Last game was a great win for us. It’s always a good feeling going into the tournament with a win. I just think we’re feeling confident going in.”

About an hour after the UTSA bus left campus, the American released its postseason all-conference teams and individual award winners.

Rowe, a 6-2 forward from Ontario, Canada, emerged as the only UTSA player recognized. She was named to the all defensive team and also to the all conference second team.

In the Roadrunners’ last game, it looked as if they had several players whose names could have appeared on the American’s release of honorees.

Multiple UTSA players contributed in a 61-52 victory as Rice had a 22-game winning streak snapped, while getting tagged with its only loss in 18 conference games this season.

In the first half, the ball moved and UTSA’s sometimes sputtering offense hummed. The Roadrunners shot 59 percent from the field. They rang up a 41-21 lead.

“We got the freedom to shoot, so everyone was confident in their shot,” Rowe said, “and everyone shot it. We talked about rebounding. Getting the right shot. Moving the ball.

“So, when we get the right shot, we can rebound in the right positions, and when we get the chance to rebound, we get second-chance opportunities.

“So it was just amazing to see everyone shooting and everyone getting the rebounds. It was great.”

Hardaway credited freshman Adriana Robles for getting everyone involved.

“We were all just playing with confidence,” she said. “It’s always good when you see shots fall, too. It gives you a good rhythm to the game. A good flow.

“Adriana did a great job of getting everyone involved. Everybody was scoring the ball, and we were playing together.”

American Conference
Women’s basketball tournament
At Birmingham, Ala.

Tuesday

Game 1 — (9) FAU defeats (8) Charlotte, 74-70, in overtime.
Game 2 — (7) Temple defeats (10) Tulane, 86-77, in overtime.

Wednesday

Game 3 — (9) FAU vs. (5) North Texas, noon
Game 4 — (7) Temple vs. (6) UTSA, 2 p.m.

Thursday

Game 5 — Game 3 winner vs. (4) Tulsa, noon
Game 6 — Game 4 winner vs. (3) South Florida, 2 p.m.

Friday

Game 7 — Game 5 winner vs. (1) Rice, 6 p.m.
Game 8 — Game 6 winner vs. (2) East Carolina, 8 p.m.

Saturday

Game 9 (championship) — Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 8:30 p.m.

Records